Spa hotels in Athlone for an indulgent trip to the Midlands

Set on a crossroads of sorts between Dublin and Galway, right in the centre of Ireland, these spa hotels in Athlone are ideally located for a weekend of decadence. For taking your mum or partner away – or going off with the girls – we've rounded up the ideal places to stay for a little end-of-week luxury.

When you’re not blissing out in the spa, explore 12th-century Athlone Castle, chat over a pint in Europe’s oldest pub, or visit the llamas and monkeys at Glendeer Pet Farm. You can also get cultured at Luan Gallery and browse the boutiques of Athlone’s main shopping street. All this, along with expertly applied therapies, sumptuous guest rooms and local cuisine, are waiting for you.

A riverside spa hotel in Athlone with holistic massages

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With its waterfront setting on the River Shannon, the Radisson Blu Hotel Athlone is a peaceful choice. Here, you can watch the boats bob up and down on the marina from the hotel’s bar and lounge. The quayside terrace is especially popular in the summertime; grab a table and eat dishes like ethically sourced fish and chips with a beer-battered coating as the sun warms your skin.

Rooms are themed at the Radisson: choose between Ocean and Urban spaces with views of the water or the quaint buildings in Athlone. Get a good night’s sleep, then wake up refreshed and ready to fill up on the breakfast buffet in the chic Elements Bistro, made up of tasty choices like Irish bread, fresh fruit and creamy cheeses.

If you’re into your fitness, the hotel’s gym trainers have put together a list of their recommended cycling and running trails nearby. Or you can just gossip with the girls in the brightly lit indoor pool – which is heated, meaning you can use it all year round. Travelling with a loved one? Grab your other half and reconnect in the sauna and steam room. The Radisson Blu’s spa treatments run from facials to lash and brow care, with manicures, pedicures and massages also on the menu. Beat lingering stress with a holistic massage. This treatment uses aromatherapy oils to minimise pain, and it regenerates your muscles while boosting your immune system. The whole therapy is designed to be a soothing experience, too, so you’ll leave it feeling wonderful!

Radisson Blu Hotel Athlone

An exotic spa hotel in Athlone inspired by the Sahara Desert

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Get away from it all at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel‘s Sirana spa, influenced by the hues and warmth of the Sahara Desert! Think sandy tones and deep, earthy browns, with burnt red silks adding luxurious streaks of colour. The spa has its own hallmark treatments, as well as those by cutting-edge skincare brand Elemis. Stay on theme by opting for an Arabic cleansing ritual in the Rasul chamber, where you’ll steam under a star-studded ceiling. There’s also a tepidarium for cleansing pores, three pools for taking a dip in and a relaxation-focused serenity lounge and cherry-blossom room. A zen-like ‘earth journey’, the Sirana Ritual Experience uses heated organic mud mixed with soothing herbs to detoxify pores. Your body will soak up the natural minerals, leaving you – and your skin – feeling rejuvenated and pampered.

Make an evening of it at the hotel’s La Provence Brasserie, which offers both international and homegrown cuisine. Local ingredients always make an appearance – try dishes like the prime Irish sirloin to keep those food miles down. An Irish Mist cocktail, mixed with whiskey, honey and spices, is the ideal chaser.

After winding down with a drink (or two), sleep soundly on a king-size featherbed under Italian Frette linens in a room with a sedate neutral palette. Book a deluxe option for wall-to-wall windows showcasing panoramas of Athlone and the River Shannon. If you’re celebrating, there’s the hyper-luxe Presidential Suite with its top-floor balcony, Jacuzzi freestanding bathtub with a view and dual vanities for plenty of space.

Sheraton Athlone Hotel

A family-run spa hotel in Athlone with a warm welcome

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Shamrock Lodge Hotel is on the Left Bank Area of Athlone, a scenic 15-minute walk from the centre of town and surrounded by gardens for a secluded feel. While the family-run service is a big reason for its popularity, the Mingala Day Spa is another compelling cause to book. In this beauty salon, you can take treatments ranging from Yumi lash lifts to Skinician facials in one of two chic rooms. You can also opt for nail care, foot baths, brow care and spray tanning if you fancy a total makeover. For cosmetics applied professionally before an evening out, the spa uses products by Fuschia, an award-winning Irish brand made from pure minerals. If it’s eyebrows you’re after, try Billion Dollar Brows! During this game-changing treatment, the therapist pencils a design onto your brows, cutting, layering and waxing excess hair. Your brows are then highlighted, shaded and tinted to suit your face shape and complexion.

Continue prepping for the night ahead in your deluxe bedroom, which has underfloor heating in the en suite to keep your toes cosy. These spaces are refined, with a monochrome colour scheme for a stylish vibe. They also feature blackout curtains – so you can snooze for longer in the morning after a late one.

At the hotel’s Ath Luain restaurant, try signature dishes like Shamrock Chicken – it’s wrapped in bacon, and comes with black pudding and chorizo stuffing drizzled in sweet chili coconut sauce. Here on a Sunday? Tuck into the full carvery with hearty cuts including roast turkey and Irish beef sirloin.

Hotel Shamrock Lodge Country House

A spa hotel in Athlone on a golf course with a view

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Glasson Country House & Hotel is a sleek option for a spa weekend in Athlone. It has a sauna and steam room (ideal for warming you up when the weather’s not playing ball) and treatment rooms where you can book make-up sessions and aromatherapy-based massages by a trained therapist. For a quick session of back pummelling without the need to book anything, have a 10-minute go on one of the massage chairs. Then it’s treat time! The lava shell massage by Áine, the resident masseuse and beauty expert at Glasson Country House, uses authentic tiger clam shells to massage your body. They’re warmed up and let off an aroma that blends hints of the sea with lavender for a truly relaxing experience.

Into golf? Get out on the green – perhaps after a reviving leg rub in the spa – and master those birdies while taking in the views of Lough Ree. You’ll see similar vistas from the glass-front Killinure Restaurant, too, which overlooks the bay of the same name. Pull up a chair in this dining room, styled with heavy red drapes and dark wood furniture in keeping with the country house’s 1780s roots, and order classic dishes like confit duck leg and pan-fried salmon.

As you might have gathered by now, a stay at Glasson is all about the surroundings, so pick a room with a balcony looking out on to the sparkling water. Classic options have a rustic feel, with plaid blankets and brown leather armchairs in each one. Master suites are cosy options as well, thanks to separate sitting rooms featuring fireplaces and en suites installed with underfloor heating.

Glasson Country House Hotel & Golf Club

A spa hotel in Athlone with a sophisticated adults-only wing

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Looking to organise a luxury weekend without the kids? Hodson Bay Hotel has an adults-only Retreat Wing to hide away in, making it a fantastic choice for a restful spa break. On a stay here, you’ll have a room decorated in bold red with dark wood furniture and bespoke artwork. En suites have walk-in showers and spacious tubs to recline in, or you can head out to the hotel’s open-air hot tub and warm yourself up in the soothing heat while gazing out at Lough Ree.

The indoors health centre has lake views from its huge windows that bathe the deck-level pool and hydropool in natural light. There’s a sauna and steam room for loosening up ahead of your therapy treatment, whether that’s a skin-brightening facial or deep massage. Discover holistic and body treatments, as well as manicures, pedicures, hair removal and spray tans. An invigorating Vichy shower or skin-soothing wrap in the Rasul mud chamber is a great way to round off your spa sesh. Or how about a Watsu massage? It takes place in warm water in the special Watsu pool to boost flexibility. Watsu is a combination of the words water and shiatsu and derives from old healing practices, and the Spa here is the first in Ireland to use Watsu treatments.

Stay healthy with a freshly made smoothie from Juice at the Bay – options like Sunset Bay, a mix of apple, carrot, ginger and melon, are instantly refreshing – or ignore the diet and do fine dining among the marble pillars in L’Escale Restaurant. Seafood is a speciality here as is Roscommon Lamb and Irish beef. Expect dishes like Wild Atlantic Way Seafood Chowder and Braised Short Rib.